Rehabilitation
by Tsa Ra Vier
Summary: The cat was too used to being hurt, being caged and disappointment. Sometimes, it was all three. His fur was messy and unkempt. Scars were there where the furs failed to grow evenly. He was a cat with multiple issues. He was an aggressive cat, short-sighted and old. He was… unwanted. A Black Survical fanfiction featuring Cat!Shoichi


The cat was too used to being hurt, being caged and disappointment. Sometimes, it was all three. His fur was messy and unkempt. Scars were there where the furs failed to grow evenly. He was a cat with multiple issues. He was an aggressive cat, short-sighted and old. He was… unwanted.

He tried chewing off the metal chains until his fangs turns blunt. Whenever someone reached out his eyes flared a bloody red, his claw ever so sharp, stabbed the hands that may saved him. He needed no saving. He could… free himself. One day.

He was left alone in a small, clamped cage. It was fit for a mice but they would not care. The animal shelter has many other preferable cats than him. He was chained as to not run away as soon as the cage was opened. Whenever he was placed on a bigger cage with similar cat friends, he would pick fights. Big or small, he would attack.

He could never be bribed with food. He would rather steal food from the next cage than to eat his. He would rather hunt unfortunate rats that tried to come to his cage for his food and eat them raw.

 _I will take him, please._

The cat struggled, scratched, bite. With his bloody little paws he writhed for his freedom.

 _That one ? That one is scheduled to be euthanized tomorrow. He was not up for adoption. Nobody wants him. We didn't even have him medically checked because he always try to run away._

 _Even more reason to keep him. I will take him._

 _Sir, your hand is bleeding._

 _That is fine. Can I sign the papers ?_

 _Yes. Can I have your name, sir ?_

 _Pajitnov, Alex Pajitnov._

That was a year ago. The cat, Shocat now lives in a cardboard box inside Alex's apartment. They moved often for some reason. He distrust Alex at first. Trying so hard to run away, to stab him with his claws. He always finds him in the end. One particular rainy day he find him drowning in a river. Alex jumped to rescue him and he caught a cold the next day. Shocat brought him mice and rats.

It took a long time for the old cat warm up to him. He was surprisingly obedient afterwards. He never complained when Alex asked him for a bath. Slowly, Shocat ate on the table with him. He watch over Alex from the top of the wardrobe as he was sleeping. He thought it would be fine. It should be.

He was starting to be kind to him.

Then JPnya happened.

Alex saved a new kitten abandoned in a box. Shocat could not believe his eyes how affectionate tha cat is. The first day, he drink from the bowl. How can some cat quickly trust a person ? JPnya purred and cuddled Alex so close… too close for Shocat's liking. JPnya was kept warm under the blanket and they slept together while he was watching on top of the wardrobe. He felt.. angry ? Betrayed?

Whatever that made him push the small cat off the bed and slept on top of Alex also made him flip the food bowl upside down. JPnya fell with a thud. He let out a small squeak that wakes Alex up in the middle of the night. Shocat feigned innocence. He pouced JPnya soon after. He treats him as an _enemy._

After a rough day thrice in a row, Alex finally gave up. He picked up Shocat and put him inside a cardboard box. He could always get out of the box but Shocat knew what it means. He remembered the same small cage he used to be. He thought it would never happen again. He cried.

"Shocat…"

He hissed. Alex knew it. He slammed the door close as soon as he was denied of affection. Alex reached out and quickly he was stabbed by Shocat's claw.

"I will put your food beside the box, alright ? I am not abandoning you. JPnya is still too small, he will need more of my attention so he could be a good and strong cat like you. Can you understand that Shocat ?"

He hissed.

"Please take care of yourself, Shocat…"

 _Of course I will. Nobody else will take care of me._

"Hello... It is JPnya…"

"Go away."

"I am sorry. I have never been loved like this before. You are such a big and experienced cat. I.. I admired you. I never knew my parents so I see you both as my parents…" JPnya slept beside the box Shocat was in. "I cannot get inside the box yet so I will lie here beside the box. I hope you are okay with that…" JPnya purred.

"Why do you take him from me ?"

"I did not meant to… I am sorry."

"I will _hunt_ you one day."

JPnya shivered. Shocat wept.

It gets worse after a few days. Alex could not do anything to JPnya without Shocat's angry gaze towards him. Everytime Alex gave JPnya a sliver of affection, Shocat would scoff away not even letting Alex touch him. Whenever JPnya approached Alex and slept beside Alex, Shocat would jump from the wardrobe and chased him off. Alex has to put him inside the box for them not to quarrel.

"Nya..."

"JPnya, I do not know what to do with him…" Alex gave his hand for JPnya to nibble. "He is an old worn out cat. I hope you would be patient with him. He is a kind cat at heart, he just has been through a lot. I really wished you two could be friends…" he smiled.

"Nya…" JPnya agreed.

* * *

Shocat leaped through the window and jumped the fence. He knew when he had enough. He was unwanted. He travelled as far as he knew with the thought of finding a place to call home. Hunting was never a problem for him. He likes to eat raw meat anyway.

He finally found a box. It was similar to his cardboard box with a difference being it does not smell like chocolate pies. He climbed up to find a kitten sleeping inside. The box was beside the road, it will be easy for him to be adopted in this box. He tugged the kitten and lift them up with his mouth. The kitten mewed as Shocat placed him out of the box. He does not need another kitten in _his_ box.

The kitten bawled and begged to be inside the box. Shocat hissed furiously. The kitten shrieked.

The kitten went away.

Shocat decided to take a nap when he heard a car honking on the road. It was his mistake to take a peek. The lousy kitten was in the middle of the road frozen solid. Shocat leaped from the box and dashed to take the kitten away from the road.

"You idiot! What were you thinking ?!" Shocat yelled.

"I was... s-scared…" the kitten cried.

"You could have died !"

The kitten yelped.

Shocat decided to take the kitten in.

"You smell nice…" the kitten said.

"I smell like choco pies." Shocat scoffed.

"Choco pies smells nice."

Shocat decided to go back to napping. The kitten pushed their way to be under his arms. "I think… mommy used to do this when I was a baby."

"Where is your mommy ?" Shocat asked.

"I don't know…"

Shocat taught the smaller cat how to hunt. They stole food sometimes from the fish grocer. After dark, they returned to their box. They slept together and tell each other stories. Shocat did most of the talking until the kitten was fast asleep. He told them about his wife and his lost kitten daughter. He was always shooed because he was a stray cat. He was not always one. He remembered being a good kitten, but after he grows bigger he was unwanted.

"That is why, you have to be a nice and obedient kitten to your master. Keep your paws sharp and your fur tidy. You want to keep you master forever." he said.

"What happened when you are a bad kitten ?" they asked.

"...the master will get a new kitten and replace you." he said darkly.

The kitten decided to not continue the conversation. They both fell asleep.

" _Aww how cute~!"_

" _You always wanted a pet cat right ? Look at this poor kitty~! Just take it!"_

" _Aaah! But the other one is so scary with the red eyes and everything! I am scared!"_

Shocat understood immediately what will happen. He smacked the kitten and jumped over the box.

"W-wha? Shocat!"

" _Aww you poor kitty."_

" _Quick rescue it before the big cat comes back!"_

The kitten was taken away by the two girls. They mewed loudly. Wishing Shocat would listen to them.

"Shocat!-Daddy! Daddy! Please! What about you ?! Daddy! You _can't_ leave me!"

Shocat turned away until he cannot see the kitten on the horizon. He went back to the now spacious box and silently wept.

 _Drip! Drip! Dripdrip._

It rains. Shocat wakes up to a broken box. It was late at night and he is too short sighted. If he walks the road now he would eventually be crashed by a car. He became angry. He hates the rain. He hates his box. He hates how he is now.

He missed Alex.

Shocat closed his eyes, exhausted. He felt that he was brought up by a pair of warm hands. Does cats go to heaven ? He wanted to sleep forever in there. Maybe even meet his wife and his kitten. Where could she be ?

"Shocat…" The pair of hands were so familiar. The voice, has Alex came to bring him home? He missed his home.

"We thought we are not going to see you again…" JPnya wept.

Shocat was quiet as Alex brought him on a warm bath. JPnya was watching them worriedly. Shocat remembered that same day where Alex saved him from drowning. He always finds him.

This time, he was glad.

After the bath, Alex placed him on his bed wrapped in a towel. JPnya approached him carefully.

"Hi…" the kitten said.

"Hello."

"I am sorry."

Shocat sighed-if cats can sigh that is. "I should apologize for my actions."

"You were selfish." JPnya said.

"Yes I have been selfish." Shocat admitted.

"And mean."

Shocat glared. "Now you are pushing it."

JPnya yelped.

Shocat burrowed himself inside the blanket nest. He might not like the condition he was in right now, but he is home. He had Alex. He had the now tolerable kitten. What matters most now is the fact that he is safe. He could think of other worse place or other better places. But here, he is welcomed.

He is home.

He can heal here.


End file.
